When we showed Bruce the range of software that we had available for sculpting in VR he was taken aback. He had tried VR sculpting early on in it’s clunky stages, but the new tools available allowed a completely free method of sculpting, no armatures are necessary because there is no gravity. Objects can be sculpted and scaled with simple hand gestures. After a lifetime of using computers in the creation of sculptures he instantly recognised the new and exciting opportunities. We worked with Bruce, remotely at first, then all together in our studio, and we even met with some of the software developers to talk about how we might improve their offerings.

The grace, beauty and strength of the resulting sculptures and prints speak for themselves. What is not visible is the steep learning curve and technological hurdles that we had to overcome to realise the works. We utilised a variety of 3D printing methods to accommodate the different sizes and surface qualities that Bruce wanted to achieve. Each one presenting different technical challenge. We even printed a mould in sand for the first time, which required developing a whole new working method to allow organic surfaces to be cast, using a process that is normally only suited to simple mechanical surfaces.

Overcoming technical challenges and learning new and improved ways of working is rewarding in itself, but the real pleasure of this collaboration was working with Bruce. I have never met an artist who is more passionate about his subject. and his knowledge and experience provided many enjoyable hours of pleasure. His exhibition will be at Pangolin London from the 5th September to the 27th October.